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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25125658">Searching Embers</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quetzalcoatl_is_my_Momma/pseuds/Quetzalcoatl_is_my_Momma'>Quetzalcoatl_is_my_Momma</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Flickering Embers, Glowing Pool [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types, Fairy Tail</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adopted siblings from before Bruce found Jason, All and any GraTsu really but brotherly is the tea rn, Angst, Basically me Whumping Natsu until I Think He's Had Enough, BatFam is trying to catch an elusive Salamander, Battles between Dragon Instinct and Human Mind, Big Brother Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne's intolerance of Metahumans in Gotham, But he's still a good boi, Damian is 15, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Flashbacks, Gen, Goddamit Brucey has made himself a target... AGAIN, Gunshot Wounds, Hidden areas in Gotham, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Jason Todd and Natsu Dragneel are siblings, Jason Todd is Red Hood, Jason just wants to find his baby brother, Let that sink in kay?, Like just try to get along with the feral dragon child roaming the streets for once?, Like they won't kill but if its an animal then yah they'll do it., Lolz good luck, Mental Instability, Metahuman Natsu is basically Dragon Slayer Natsu, Natsu Dragneel Needs a Hug, Natsu Dragneel is Abandonment Issues' favorite song, Natsu gets hurt alot, Natsu has PTSD, Natsu has brief bouts of clarity, Natsu is 14, Natsu is a sad boi, Natsu is a semi-wild child, Natsu is slightly crazy, Natsu's Metahuman Gene causes his Dragonification, Now we have Killer Croc, OOC Natsu Dragneel, Okay I lied... Bruce ia a bastard here... sorry, On top of Batman wanting to put Natsu down, Ooc batfam when it comes to killing ppl., PlEaSe?!?!?, Protective Jason Todd, Protective Natsu Dragneel, Protective Tim Drake, Team Natsu is really just a group of college students looking out for him, Tim sees underneath, and romantic GraTsu, but it's Gotham soooo...., but they're few and far between, in this house we Stan brotherly GraTsu, lost family found again</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 09:40:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>17,170</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25125658</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quetzalcoatl_is_my_Momma/pseuds/Quetzalcoatl_is_my_Momma</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Lazarous Pit had an unforseen side effect other than madness- firsthand exposure results in memory loss. It could take away days, months, even years worth of memories with the recipient none the wiser. Thus, when Jason Todd was brought back he'd forgotten two and a half years worth of memories, and thus a little sibling from the streets he'd unknowingly left behind was lost to their own fire.</p><p>Nearly ten years down the line a fire-wielding Meta named Salamander is growing increasingly violent; Natsu's Metagene has gone out of control, the effects visible on the outside and taking a toll on his mind. When a run-in with Red Hood brings back buried memories, the countdown begins. Now it's a race against time and a battle of morals with lives on the line. The brutality on the victims from the mysterious Meta sparks a clash within the BatClan about whether to bring the Salamander in or- if he's too far gone to save- bring him down. Jason, with surprising help from Tim, begins finding clues as to who the Meta may really be, affinity for fire being the key and bringing him in closer as he uncovers lost evidence to a little brother from a decade prior.</p><p>PART ONE OF A THREE-PART SERIES!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Happy &amp; Natsu, Natsu Dragneel &amp; Bruce Wayne, Natsu Dragneel &amp; Damian Wayne, Natsu Dragneel &amp; Dick Grayson, Natsu Dragneel &amp; Jason Todd, Natsu Dragneel &amp; Team Natsu, Natsu Dragneel &amp; Tim Drake</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Flickering Embers, Glowing Pool [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1820074</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Remember When I Told You {No Matter Where I Go} (Chapter 1- Part 1)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/21134177">Broken Angels</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepeacetea/pseuds/thepeacetea">thepeacetea</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I HAD AN EXTRA COMPUTER IN MY ATTIC AND THO IT'S DUSTY AS HELL IT WORKSSSSS~!</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Two lonely people meet and form an unlikely bond. One is forbidden in the city he was born in by the local myth while the other is merely trying to get by.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter Title Origin:</p><p>Way Back Home By SHAUN (Sam Feldt Edit)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Natsu raced through the back alleys, his little bare feet sinking into the ice of winter but not getting cold. His breath came out in harsh pants that misted over his face, even sending out some sparks of spent embers as he fled, the fire in his belly spent in escaping from the crazy traffickers who wanted to capture him in the previous junctures for his rather unique abilities. If he could get back to Crime Alley, he’d be safe. No one in their right mind went where the Joker reigned supreme in the thick of Gotham’s criminal belly. Golden eyes flashed with barely suppressed fear as the young metahuman skidded around the corner and looked around frantically for his hideaway. His pupils thinned into pencil slits when he realized that the entryway had been boarded up at some point on the day.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He had no choice but to race past.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Forcing his burning legs to continue moving, the four year old let out a few sobs with his pants. He was gonna die. He didn’t want to, but the laws of Gotham, as short a time he had spent on this earth, were etched as soon as he was born into his being and he was tossed into the cold and unforgiving streets- it was every man for himself, and of you died, no one would mourn you.</em>
</p><p><em>Suddenly something grasped his forearm and yanked him into a dark alcove. A large hand clamped over his mouth and an arm held his struggling body still. </em>“Stop fucking moving or they’ll find us!”<em>at the sound of the</em> <em>growling male voice Natsu abruptly stopped moving, instinct ingrained in him to obey the aggressive tone or risk punishment. As the pounding feet of his pursuers faded away, the one holding the boy breathed out a sigh of relief. </em>“Alright, pipsqueak, they’re gone.”<em> letting him go, the hands lifted away and Natsu scrambled to the other side of the alcove, bumping into the wall with a soft </em>whuff<em> to peer up at his savior.</em></p><p><em>Wild black hair fell into blue-green eyes and pale skin was flushed a pinkish color in the cold of the air. the man didn’t look like a </em>man<em>, in all honesty, more like a grumpy teenager… but Natsu saw that his eyes radiated a hidden kindness that most people wouldn’t deign to direct at others, much less him. Natsu’s golden eyes blinked as his mind tried to process why this stranger was helping him. </em>“Run along, brat. I got places to be.”<em> Natsu jolted when he realized the teen was leaving him and let out a small protesting noise, reaching out with a small hand and gripping his jacket as if to hold him there.</em></p><p>
  <em>The first one since Igneel to help him… he wouldn’t let him go away so easy!</em>
</p><p>“A-ah! Go with you!”<em> the boy clicked his tongue and turned, giving Natsu a look that said exactly what he thought about that idea. </em>“Look, you don’t’ even know me. I helped you out once and you’re gonna latch on?”<em> Natsu nodded vigorously, beaming upwards at the disgruntled teen. </em>“You have no idea if I’m a crazy guy who wants to kill ya later on.”<em> Natsu pouted, golden eyes narrowed and catlike pupils slitting. </em>“Nu-uh! You good… eyes say so!”<em> that made the teen stop fully, blue-green eyes widened as he peered down at the little ankle-biter latched to his coattails. </em>“…What are you Squirt, two?”<em> Natsu scowled but the teen just smirked at the attempt- the kit looked like a little kitten, can you see the elder shaking in his boots?</em></p><p>“‘M <em>Four</em>! An’ I’m not ‘Squirt’! M’ Natsu! Natsu Dr-Dragneel!”</p><p>
  <em>The teen’s smirk slowly turned into something slightly softer, eyes trailing over the small child’s thin form swathed in the light jacket and scaly printed scarf around his neck. His slightly tanned skin was lightly freckled and the eerie catlike eyes made the teen do a double-take for a moment. no, they weren’t catlike, more accurate to call them Dragon-like.</em>
</p><p><em>The teen hummed before turning to look down at the little kid and tilted his head to the side. </em>“Well, when you say it like that… Nice to meet you, Squirt-.” <em>He had to bite back a snicker when Natsu puffed up in indignation. </em>“I’m Jason. Jason Todd.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. I'll Never Leave Your Side {You Will Never Be Alone} (Chapter 1- Part 2)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Natsu and Jason's life on the streets, both good times and hard. Chapter 1- Part 2</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter Title Origin:</p><p>Way Back Home By SHAUN (Sam Feldt Edit)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>They had called a crumbling apartment building their home for the past year now. The two boys were always seen together, and while Jason was the more foul mouthed of the duo, Natsu made up for the elder’s brash edges and jagged points with his warmth and smiles prepped and ready to pierce the hearts of those around him. When Jason got money however he could through the more… shady means, Natsu stuck to the lighter ends of green-getting, and that’s exactly what Jason wanted. Natsu was a light he wondered how he managed to get by without, and he didn’t want that light to fade away .</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The little tyke helped with the old ladies shopping, finding lost pets, and did odd jobs here and there when someone could humor him. Never going over ten dollars as the fee, with every five or ten dollar bill pressed into his small hands that he showed to his big brother back in their hideout, Jason felt a sense of accomplishment and pride towards the kid. Of course when they couldn’t get money by conventional means, the little black-haired demon has a mean streak a mile wide for pick pocketing.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>However, it wasn’t long past their three month mark when the thirteen year old realized that there was something off about his now-five-year-old sibling. Natsu was always hot, and abnormally so. At first Jason thought it was just Natsu running around all the time- kid never seemed to walk, but on a particularly cold night somewhere in early February, Natsu had rolled into Jason’s side under their thin blankets and the elder jerked away when he felt how burning hot the child was; Natsu, by all accounts, should have been running an impossibly high fever.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>After a brief panic and shaking the kid awake, Natsu had to tell Jason his secret- he had ‘fire powers’. At Jason’s request, Natsu proceeded to demonstrate, his hair shifting from its black ebony color to a strange rosy pink as his eyes glowed like golden embers. The five year old then began breathing tongues of fire and lighting his hands and feet on fire, even making extra limbs like a tail or small stubby wings and giggling when Jason first tried to pat them out when they started burning what little clothes the child had.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Jay, it don’ hurt! See?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Needless to say, they didn’t have any problems about the freezing conditions during the winter anymore because Natsu no longer had to keep his secret hidden from his big brother.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">~~~~*/|\*~~~~</span>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Jason slipped through the opening of their second base that night with a weary sigh, black eye and a busted lip. He had been late with one of his ‘deliveries’ and his client wasn’t happy about it. Little bare feet pittering on the concrete of what Natsu called their Hidden World made Jason’s lips twitch upwards in a hair-trigger reaction to the rapidly approaching kid, because no matter how beat up he would come home as, Natsu would turn into a literal fireball of indignant anger and demand to be taken to the ones who hurt his brother. “Didja’ beat em good, Jay?” Natsu’s voice chirped as he came around the corner. Blue-green eyes vanished and reappeared in a rapid blink before a warm smile- an expression that could get you killed if you weren’t careful on the streets- and he knelt to ruffle the spiky black locks affectionately. “Sure did, Snapdragon.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>In Natsu’s eyes, his brother was a pillar of hope and strength. He protected him, accepted his powers and didn’t call the scary Black Bat Guy to take him away. Jason was something Natsu could never understand how he got by without.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>…well, he had been barely managing but that wasn’t the point!</em>
</p><p><em>However, looking at Jason now Natsu knew that he wasn’t taking care of himself </em>again<em>. Honestly, the dragon’s treasure was supposed to stay bright and shiny! Jason looked like a drooping dandelion!</em></p><p><em>Remembering the loot he’d gotten today, Natsu’s eyes went wide and he gasped loudly. </em>“Ooh! Oh, oh Jay I got good stuff t’day! Since Missus Gainey didn’ need her dogs walked I was sad cuz that meant she couldn’t vive us any money so I was sad, but! But this guy pushed me over on East 88<sup>th</sup>, an-an I was mad an’ so I followed him and grabbed his wallet! He had hundreds in there, Jay! He was rich! So I took em’ all and put it back an’ I got us a…!”</p><p><em>Jason huffed in exasperation and amusement as Natsu took his hand and tugged him over to the willow tree they caught fireflies under, talking about the fruits of his labor as he went. Small fairy lights that someone had thrown out (and were still in working order) had been wreathed through the drooping boughs to make an almost fantastical aura emanate from the tree. Sitting his weary brother down, Natsu rambled on and on as he brought out some cans of peaches, soups, beans, beanie-weenies, and some Lil’ Debbies cupcakes for them to stuff themselves with. Jason blinked in sleepy astonishment as Natsu </em>kept bringing stuff out<em>, his talking growing softer and his voice getting quieter as blue-green eyes slipped closed</em></p><p>I’ll just rest em’ for a bit…<em> Jason thought sleepily.</em></p><p>
  <em>Five minutes later Natsu’s babbling slowed to a stop and his lips curled into a proud smile when he heard Jason’s soft snores.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Taking the picnic blanket he’d brought with him the little metahuman unfolded it and used it as an actual blanket, spreading it over Jason’s exhausted form and tucking him in like the elder would with himself at night. Stepping back and observing his handiwork, Natsu nodded proudly and turned, putting all the food he bought away in their duffel bag before wriggling under the thirteen-year-old’s exposed right arm and nestling into the smoky rain-smell that was Jason.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Keeping himself out in the open since he was never really cold, Natsu yawned and curled up tight with a small smile on his face.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Awww.... Lil' Natsu takes care of those who take care of him. the first official chapter starts in one more chapter, people who read my stuff! BIG thank you to <strong>Shiro_of_Snow</strong> and <strong>Losvers_party</strong></p><p>for your review and kudos! Bless you both! Till next time~!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. All These Are The Key {That Will Change Me} (Chapter 1- Part 3)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Catalyst for Salamander's Emergence</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter Title Origin:</p><p>KEY: Bring It On My Destiny by Lenny Code Fiction</p><p>From the D.Gray Man Hallow Opening</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><em>Natsu’s tears sizzled on his heating skin as he ran as fast as he could from the docks near Gotham Bay. The five year old had never felt so useless in his short life- Jason was being </em>hurt<em> and he couldn’t do anything to help him because he was </em>small<em> and </em>weak<em> and a </em>Metahuman<em>… he couldn’t risk bringing his flames out because he was </em>scared <em>the Black Bat Guy would come and take him away… but he </em>left <em>Jason there. Jason was hurt and alone and bleeding and he wouldn’t wake up and he wasn’t moving-!</em></p><p><em>Natsu turned into an old abandoned lot and wriggled under a pile of bricks into the Hidden World, tumbling down the small hill to let out a scream. Deep within him his fires raged with his fear, his anger, his sadness, and his frustration licked at his skin. Black hair bled pink and red-orange fire starting to become flecked with black spun and lashed around him. </em>“Calm down, Snapdragon<em>,” Jason would have said to him. “</em>Jesus, Lil’ Dragon, wait’ll I get the marshmallows out before you flare up!”<em> The boy giggled through his sobs as he knelt into the silky smoldering grass, smoke curling up to sent the smell of campfires and incense to his nose. Natsu began taking deep measured breaths, exercises Jason taught him to calm down, before he got up.</em></p><p>“Get back to Hidden World, Natsu! I’ll be home before you know it, but you need to run! I promise I’ll come back!”<em> Natsu’s cries died out and he wiped his face free of tears. He was a big boy, and until Jason came back, Natsu would wait and continue as always.</em></p><p><em>After all, Jason Todd </em>never<em> broke his promises, especially to his little brother.</em></p><p> </p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong> <em>But Jason never came back.</em> </strong>
</p>
<hr/><p><em>Yet, Natsu still waited… he waited for a long, long time, always feeling that brotherly connection, sometimes dimming like static and others as strong as iron or steel. He could </em>feel<em> that Jay was looking for him too. Natsu went out onto the streets looking for his big brother when he turned eight… but no matter where he went, no one saw Jason Todd… Until the young metahuman saw the papers seven months later.</em></p><p>
  <strong> <em>“BRUCE WAYNE ADOPTS ANOTHER SON! BLOOD SON OR TRUE ADOPTION?!”</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Natsu’s golden eyes widened as he saw the picture of Jason, his big brother, in a photo with THE Bruce Wayne and his other son, Richard-something or other. Natsu would lower his head and turn away from the newspaper stand and walk away, feeling like his heart was shattered into s hundred pieces.</em>
</p><p><em>At age eight- a week before his ninth birthday, Natsu got angry. </em>VERY<em> angry.</em></p><p>Jason promised he’d come back,<em> the young meta thought as he punched the willow tree’s trunk. The fairy lights had long since gone out and the clearing no longer held the magic it once did for a duo against the world’s Criminal Capital.  </em>He said he’d never leave me alone… he lied to me… I hate him… I hate him…!<em> with an enraged scream, Natsu’s powers spin out of control for the first time in a very long time, fire springs up on his back and shrouds his face, his canines elongating and his fingers growing long claws. His voice grew deeper and he shouts with an unholy rage towards the cloudy night sky.</em></p><p>
  <strong> <em>“I WISH HE WAS DEAD!!!”</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>The metahuman’s hair bled pink and he spun around, lobbing a ball of fire at the wall where a few pictures they had taken at photo booths when they could afford it hung safe from the elements. Like oil, the flames splattered across the crumbling brickwork and slips of paper before starting to hungrily devour flimsy strips. Natsu snapped out of his rage and began to panic, getting water and putting out the small blaze with a cry of regret. He dug through the charred slips of paper and pulled out a picture that had, somehow, survived with Jason’s image somewhat intact, but Natsu’s burnt out. They were at a carnival at the time, the noirette remembered. It was one that came through once every year and they were able to afford the wristbands to go that year… Natsu had been five…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A hiccup broke from the young metahuman’s chest and he curled up and held the picture close. His shoulders jumped up and down before he broke out into crying sobs.</em>
</p><p>"'M s'rry..."<em> he garbled out, bent in half and rocking on his knees. </em>"'M s'ry! Don' go, Jay-Jay... Don'- don' <em>go</em>. Want you back... what'er I did... <em>ples</em>, Jay...!"</p><p>
  <em>
    <span class="u">Up in the Wayne’s Mansion, Jason Todd looked out towards the city where he left someone behind, a thrum of  bone-deep loneliness and grief running through him. Somehow, Jason knew this wasn't all from him... it was from</span>
  </em>
  <span class="u"> Natsu</span>
  <span class="u">.</span>
  <em>
    <span class="u"> Instantly, he wanted to go out and look for his baby brother but Bruce was adamant that he wasn’t ready to do things like that for himself yet.</span>
  </em>
</p><p><em> <span class="u">“I’ll find you, Snapdragon,” the blue-eyed teen said softly. </span> </em> <span class="u">“I promise I’d come home to you, and Jason-Fucking-Todd never breaks a promise.”</span></p><p>
  <em>Natsu cried himself to sleep that night, the echoes of his angry yell ringing through the alleyways like some ancient curse, and it sank into the bricks of the city as a vile poison.</em>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong><em>And the young meta would </em>never<em> regret those words more than he did the week after.</em></strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>As the saying goes, "Be careful what you wish for."</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<hr/><p><em>On July 7th, Natsu's birthday, Jason Todd was beaten to near-death by the Joker before finally perishing alone, in pain, and begging for his loved ones to forgive him in a cold dark warehouse. Natsu snapped awake and looked up blankly at the heavy clouds in the dark sky that had yet to spill their payload. something was very, very, </em>very<em> wrong, and it had to do with Jason.</em></p><p>
  <em>the young meta had sprung up and tapped into his powers with a frenzied desperation he never felt before, his finger and toenails sharpened and extended, canines elongated and his eyes glowed gold. his hair flushed into a deeper pink than before, almost appearing red, and he unknowingly joined in on a search that the Batman and the old Robin were doing to find the lost and new one.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Natsu was only halfway across the city from his usual lurks felt the brotherly connection- worn as it was and despite his horrible thoughts towards Jason the week before, Natsu could never bear to think of it completely breaking- thin even more, whither, fray… and finally…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Finally…</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Finally….</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <span class="u">…SNAP.</span> </strong>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Across the city, a seventeen year old, beaten to the brink of death by a mad clown’s crowbar and seconds away from being blown sky high, lets a single tear fall from his face as he mutters one last thing to his baby brother... in the blink of an eye, he saw the life he led. To be honest, it had more dark times than good... but then he saw a scared face of tanned skin, a small spray of freckles and shining golden eyes looking at him like he'd hung the moon and the stars.</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>He saw their first roller coaster ride at the Carnival.</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>He saw how they would light up when they were happy.</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>He saw how they would wobble with tears as they gathered the waterworks for the 'baby dragon look'.</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <b>He saw the small mouth slide wide with mischievousness.</b>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <b>He saw it gritting it's teeth when it was about to open up and holler.</b>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <b>He saw what could have been: </b>
  </em>
  <em>
    <b>Bruce and Dick meeting Natsu, joining them on patrols and becoming a force to be reckoned with once he got Bruce to accept Natsu's powers.</b>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Man... <em>Jason Todd thought absently. </em>I wish Bruce could'a met the little Snapdragon...</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <b>And finally, he saw himself, Jason Todd, and his baby brother Natsu Dragneel sitting under their willow tree in the Hidden World, reading a super worn-out copy of a book called Fairy Tails by the soft shine of the perfectly functional Fairy Lights, grinning at the motto and laughing about it's Eternal Adventure shtick. He saw them catching fireflies and stealing when times were tough. Natsu trying to keep a black cat, his voice giggling as he ran up to hig Jason.</b>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <b>"Jay! Missed you!"</b>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <b>"Love you, Jay!"</b>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <b>"You beat em up!"</b>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <b>"Jason, get up! please Jay! You promised... You said you'd come home to me!"</b>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>The words muttered next are caught by the wind and taken away just as his world foes up in fire and smoke.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <span class="u">=›◊‹=</span> </strong>
</p><p><em>Natsu’s heart, broken into a hundred tiny pieces, shattered into </em><strong>billions </strong><em>when the string snaps. as the warehouse goes sky high, th</em><em>e young metahuman falls to his knees and </em>screams<em>. Deep in his mind, something wakes up. His back writhes and contorts before bursting apart in a shower of blood and chunks of muscle, the absolute pain merely seconded to the emotional agony the nine-year-old is going through. Bones are crunching and snapping as they move around. His spine lengthens and his screaming turns into a howl of misery as the words from an oh-so-familiar voice reaches him moments later...</em></p>
<hr/><p>
  <em> <strong>"Sorry, Snapdragon... Guess I'm not coming home after all..."</strong> </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, fasten your seatbelts gents, it's gonen be a bumpy night~! Now i know Natsu is pretty OOC here, and its said in the tag, but he's like, SERIOUSLY gonna be OOC. y'all sint gonna recognize him half the time, its that bad.</p><p>*Happily jogging away from the chaos I've made*</p><p>
  <strong>ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ</strong>
</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. I Was Not Always A Monster {Once I Was Somebody's Muse} (Chapter 4- Part 1)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The first barrier cracks and a five year timeskip of pursuit continues. Salamander has some people in his corner, though.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I was not always a monster,<br/>Once I was somebody's muse.<br/>My emotions make me stronger,<br/>But then that power was let loose.<br/>(Edited verse)</p><p>Source of the Chapter Title: </p><p>Can’t Be Erased by JT Machinima from Bendy and the Ink Machine</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>A boy of nine and a half years is seen sprinting through the alleyways of Gotham City in a broken and staggered run. His eyes are wide and his teeth sport sharpened fangs. A large and heavy jacket is draped over his form, but as the back flutters in the wind while he runs, a scaly limb is seen waving behind him.</em>
</p><p>“Get back here you little brat!”</p><p>“When we catch you, you’re dead!”</p><p>“Hope you’ve said your prayers, Freak!”</p><p>
  <em>Natsu’s breaths were harsh, and his right foot caught on some upturned chunk of trash, making him yelp as he fell over. The ones chasing him were on him instantly and Natsu saw white in his fear. A voice chanted to him to either fight or run.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Fight or run…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Natsu screamed and squeezed his eyes shut tight when a hand locked on his red-pink locks and yanked backwards. He didn’t see the silver flashing in the streetlight, but he sure as hell felt it burying into the flesh of his shoulder.</em>
</p><p>He wanted Jason! Where was Jason?!</p><p>
  <strong>Wait…</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <strike>ŧĦÆŦŞ Ŕıĝħŧ…</strike>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <strike>Ħĕ ħĄş Æ ŊЄШ ﬀåM‡ГΨ Ņōώ…</strike>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <strike>He said he’d come back! It’s my fault! I wished he was dead and it happened!</strike>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <strike>Ħę їЅ α ГЇДř! ŁęFŦ ŲȘ ǺłŐŇė! ĐĘșėřΰεđ ĐĒĄŦĦ!!!!</strike>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>His eyes snapped open and instantly his body was enshrouded in fire, throwing the thugs on him off with varying cries of either pain or surprise.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <strike>ŊŌЩ…</strike>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>As the leader got to his feet, he saw that the kid’s hair, while an inky black, had one section near his face- his right bang- being steadily dyed a bloody red color.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <strike>ŦǻĶĖ ĊŐŊŧŗơĻ.</strike>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>One of Natsu’s locks of inky black dashed the dark crimson, remaining the shade of vermilion as the fire danced and crackled over his body.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Then the low growl rippled through the air and the six guys sent to chase after the kid froze. Like a marionette rising from the ground, Natsu’s back arched and he stood, only to flop onto all fours. Fire jetted from his mouth as the kid huffed and puffed and his fingers flexed and clenched, the elongating nails carving gouges into the asphalt under them. The jacket covering the kid’s body began to bulge outwards before it ripped lengthwise, allowing two huge bat-like wings dyed with his blood to emerge in a spray of crimson and shiny muscle chunks.</em>
</p><p> “What the hell?!” <em>One of the thugs yelled before drawing a gun from his jacket pocket. With a loud </em>BANG!<em> The weapon went off and the changing boy shrieked a guttural scream of pain and rage. he dug his talons into the stone and flexed his muscles before vanishing. </em>“W-where’d he g-?!” <em>there was the sound of flesh being scratched and torn before an unholy scream before the man who had started to ask  disappeared as well.</em></p><p>
  <em>Once golden eyes shone bloody red on black sclera as a large clawed fist released the spluttering throat. Letting the first victim splat to the ground heavily.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Smoke hissed from between scaly lips as a rumbling growl made the street shake. A glare was all the other thugs needed before they screamed and ran.</em>
</p><p><em>The thing that was once a child left behind lifted its head and roared at the cloudy skies, fire billowing an ominous red and black as it left its mouth before the being raised its wings and took off. Only minutes later did police and Batman himself arrive and see the result of what was left behind- a man scarred for life and babbling about a monster, his friends admitting to what crimes they were going to commit as long as he </em>caught the demon<em>.</em></p><p>
  <em>Thus began the legend of the Salamander.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">Five Years Later</span>
  </strong>
</p><p>Something was… off.</p><p>Normally on patrols everything in Gotham was off, be it as mugger or a robbery or even better, Joker or Two-Face up to their normal BS but this time Red Hood felt something was deeply wrong. The only problem was that he couldn’t figure out what the fuck it was. the Pit Madness wasn’t as prominent tonight, always a whispering in the back of his mind, tonight it was…. strangely silent. Maybe that was what had the former crime boss so worked up. <em>“Hey Red, you alive?”</em> his radio let Nightwing’s voice wrap around him and the second-oldest of the BatClan scoffed. <em>“Nah, he’s alive. No one can sound that surly and be dead.”</em> Red Robin’s voice overlapped before adding on an afterthought. <em>“Cept maybe demon spawn.</em>”</p><p>
  <em>“Tt, don’t talk about me as if I’m not here, Drake.”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“No real names over the comms, guys!”</em>
</p><p>It was a hard fight of yay and nay, rejoining the family. The feeling of being left behind and abandoned was a bitter one, but after talking to Tim, meeting with him and everything sappy like that Jason decided he could…. tolerate the replacement if he had to. The bickering he joined into over the coms wasn’t the source of the whole ‘off’ feeling, though…</p><p><em>“Holy mother of Jesus’ balls-!”</em> Red Robin let out a low curse that had Jason pausing and blinking at the air dumbly. The guy never cursed like <em>that.</em> “What the <em>fuck, </em>Replacement-?” <em>“There’s some guy here who looks like he got into a fight with a bear… and lost really badly.”</em> Nightwing’s voice turned grim. <em>“Another one? Are there scorch marks and strange grooves in the ground or walls anywhere nearby?”</em> Jason was already turning and grappling his way to Red Robin’s location. <em>“Yeah… just like the last place near the harbor… damn, this Salamander thing isn’t messing around…”</em> Bruce’s voice crackled over the coms. <em>“Do we even know if it’s a meta yet or an escaped animal experiment?” </em>the replacement made a frustrated noise as he shuffled around, likely checking the victim’s vitals. <em>“It’s unlikely… the wounds </em>are<em> more to that of a wild animal but the cases from five years up to now all say the same thing; I’m still staking it on an animal experiment though like Gorilla Grodd- it could be an intelligent one. the good news is that the guy’s stable, surprisingly… these wounds are enough to incapacitate but not kill. He’s probably gonna be in a wheelchair or something for a while, though. And the scars are gonna be there for life.”</em></p><p>Jason grit his teeth and rounded a corner, not seeing the flash of red and black scales slither under a streetlight as the perpetrator made their escape. Golden eyes stared, catlike pupils thinned like pencil lines as they watched the Red-Black-Gold Human look over His hunt. Human were liars. Humans hurt others. Humans like that deserved to <em>die</em>. But no, He wasn’t going to cross that line, He knew better.</p><p><em>But by the skies did he hated Liars</em>….</p><p>Salamander silently crawled from his hiding place and emerged into an alleyway two blocks away from his kill area. His red scaly tail lashed the concrete and smoke hissed from his teeth as he sniffed the air for Black Bat Human. It was a deeply ingrained instinct to do so, from a time Before. No matter, he had somewhere to be anyways. With a snort and a jet of smoke, Salamander spread his wings and took off, heading towards a more quiet human-living area. He had a small nest there, with one who smelled of mint and cold air, a sweet stardust smell, two with iron and steel and one of ink and books.</p><p>He was going home.</p><p>It wasn’t too far away, marked by a new building that had been put up several moons prior. The Humans living there were… iffy, but those Salamander marked as his own were always welcome around him. He churred lightly as he spotted one of his Nestmates waving to him from the Man-Cliff outside their den, nostrils flaring as he took in the smell of mint and snow. It was the Snowman. Diving easily, Salamander flared his wings and flapped a bit before alighting on the railing. “There you are… we were getting a bit worried.” Snowman ruffled Salamander’s ratty red tresses roughly and the being barked in complaint, hissing irritably and shaking his folded wings a bit. “Don’t hiss at me, use your words like Erza’s been teaching you to.”</p><p>Salamander bared his teeth, the sharp canines clacking together rapidly like those furry creatures in the alleyways seemed to do. <strong><em>“Cannnn… wa-waatch… m’sllfff.”</em></strong> Snowman rolled his eyes and gestured to the small table near the entryway. “Yeah, clearly… cuz you look so goddamn <em>thin</em> all the time.” A bag containing one of the few things Salamander can praise humans for creating sat like an offering to a higher being to the right. Luckily for the treat within, Salamander <em>was</em> that higher being. With a happy chirp Salamander pushed up against Snowman and hummed in thanks- even if he was the one he got along with the least he always seemed to worry the most for the being.</p><p>Paper crackled and tore before a squeal made Snowman crack a small smirk.</p><p>Gray Fullbuster was a simple college student working on an art degree with Ice Sculpture as a profession, and granted having a weird metahuman-mutant camping out near his and his friend’s apartment building was a bit unsettling at first, but he soon realized that the Meta always acted like… a little kid. He saw something in gold eyes that mirrored Gray’s own when he was a kid himself, blaming himself for the losses of his family.</p><p>And Gray didn’t want this kid- if he even was a kid- to fall into the hole he himself had. At least he had his friends to fall back on, Salamander didn’t have that. So the least they could do was ignore the news about him being a rabid animal terrorizing the streets and see the hurting kid underneath… and be there until he didn’t need them to be anymore.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>leave reviews and kudos if you liked it, please!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Hey Momma Can You Save Me? {How Many Nights Will It Take?}</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A night that should be chill suddenly isn't.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chaoter Title Origin:</p><p>Devil Inside by CRMNL</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Old rusted wires stuck out of the fairy lights that had long since gone out or shattered from time, another relic from what Salamander called The Before. The being himself was curled up much like a large cat, tapered ears flicking and wings twitching. Low growls and whines escaped from grit fangs and fire danced lightly along the creature’s spines along his back. With a startled roar his eyes flew open and he blew a plume of fire at a scorched bolder some fifty meters away, eyes glowing in the nonexistent light.</p><p>The weather was warm and humid as was custom for summer here in the region, and the leaves on the trees glistened with mist from the waterfront and an approaching drizzle filtering through the tall monoliths of his central territory. Red and gold eyes flashed sharply in the light of the fireflies dance as a scent wafted towards him and Salamander grunted when a familiar golden-haired female waved from her balcony before vanishing and turning off her small sun for the night.</p><p><em>Star Lady</em>, Salamander had come to call her. She was gentle and kind, guiding him unlike the warrior-female with the blood-colored hair.</p><p>With a huff, Salamander pushed himself to his feet and shook the grass and twigs from his ratty clothing and hair; strands of red flopped about, pink fading in and continuing halfway up his back. The Salamander stretched and wriggled the stiffness from his joints in preparation for the night to come- he actually wasn’t going to hunt any humans tonight unless the situation arose  he just wanted to fly about and perch in places, maybe touch up on his scent-marking to ward away others from trying to move in. Before he lifted off he picked up a picture from his small hoard of treasures. It was of a human with black hair and blue-green eyes with a young human child. They looked happy, and for some reason it made Salamander hurt in his chest; he couldn’t bring himself to get rid of the image, though. Instead, whenever he went out, he took it with him, always looking at the few humans walking around in the night for a match without really knowing why.</p><p>It just seemed important to do.</p><p>With a sigh, Salamander gingerly tucked the image into his tattered shirt’s pocket before spreading his wings and taking off. He circled the balcony of his four humans, breathing a small burst of fire onto a lantern they each had set out- a system to tell when he was gone or not- before flying higher and out into the night. He flew higher, the lights of the human’s buildings becoming pinpricks in the sea of scattered light and darkness under him. Salamander circled, keeping his wings outstretched to preserve his stamina.</p><p>He felt tired for some reason, nothing like a physical fatigue, but something bone deep and aching. It was as if something wanted him to wake up and was knocking about inside to make it happen. He brought up a clawed hand and placed it over his red eye, half-blocking his vision. <em>I… feel… sad… </em> he realized. <em>Sad…? Why…?</em></p><p>With a confused croon, Salamander tilted towards a building and glided gently over the rooftops, claw-tips skimming lightly over the stonework. He circled a roof, checking for any humans out and around before he touched down. Fluttering his wings the Salamander shook the mane of red and pink on his head, his tail twitching gently to an invisible beat.</p><p>The scents of the city blew around the Salamander in a amalgam of sweet, sour, bad and good, some of which seemed to touch a chord in the being’s mind, but only just faintly. He chuffed and shuffled before wrapping his wings around himself and heating his core up a bit more to clear his head. shuffling about for a moment until he was sufficiently warmed up Salamander hopped off his perch and began circling the small water tower on the roof near him. he reached out and felt the cool metal before letting out a croon- this would do. Leaning in he pressed his cheek against the metal and rubbed his face against it, flexing his clawed hands and leaving long marks on the surface even as his scales carved scratches in the structure, even chipped off in some spots to embed themselves into the side. Pushing off and checking his handiwork, Salamander goes to the next step.</p><p>Leaning over, he inhales before letting out a short burst of fire at the ground, scorching the concrete with a nice dark patch and rolling over the soot. With a pleased hum, Salamander cast his gaze out over the city before bounding to the edge and taking off once more.</p><p>=›◊‹=</p><p>Red Robin waited until the creature- Salamander, <em>holy shit he saw Salamander</em>- flew off before grappling to where he had been conducting whatever it was he was doing. “Hey, Bats? Just had a sighting of Salamander-.”</p><p>Instantly the coms were flooded with shouting from Batman and the others on patrol. “God- quiet down! I’m on the roof with a large grey and black metal water tower on West 65<sup>th</sup>’s apartment complex.” <em>“Did he do anything?!”</em> Nightwing asked, worry coloring his voice. “No, he just-! W-well, it’s hard to explain… you should get here and see for yourselves.”</p><p>Not ten minutes later Red Hood, Robin, Nightwing, and Batman were all standing around him and looking at the results of Salamander’s bizarre behavior- and looking at the recording of Red Robin’s first official sighting for the Batclan. Jason just stared at the gouges and scale chippings, surprisingly not making any comments on them. “It’s acting like an actual animal,” Nightwing mused as he rewound the five minutes worth of footage. “Yes, specifically like a cat,” Robin added, eyes narrowed under the mask. “Male in particular- the way it’s rubbing it’s cheeks against the structure and clawing the metal, it’s marking it’s territory by leaving behind a scent marker and a warning. The deeper the scratches the deadlier the one guarding said territory.”</p><p>Red Hood knelt and picked up a red scale from the ground, turning it over in his fingers curiously. In the near-reflective surface of the smooth object, he saw the face of a… a <em>child…?</em></p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <strike>
        <span class="u">«Golden eyes, bright smile, warm yellow dancing around small thin limbs, fireflies, the clink-clink-clink of falling objects from skin-</span>
      </strike>
    </em>
  </strong>
  <strike>.»</strike>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <strike>
        <span class="u">“ĴĄŷ−ĵΔЏ, īМ şĦĕĐĐīŋģ ąğÄÎŉ!”</span>
      </strike>
    </em>
  </strong>
  <strike></strike>
</p><p>“You find something, Red Hood?” Batman’s voice pulled him from his murky memories, making him jerk, before he stood. The movement of surprise wasn’t lost in the Dark Knight and he internally raised an eyebrow at the unusual behavior. “Yeah, this. Looks like Salamander isn’t just a moniker- I think it’s actually a lizard or something.” Batman plucked the scale from Red Hood’s fingers and looked at it before pocketing it. “We’ll have Agent A analyze it back at the cave. Right now, though-.” Robin suddenly tensed and reached over his shoulder to grip his sword. “What?” Nightwing asked, tensed as well.</p><p>The youngest of the Batclan turned about warily as he searched the skies above, then the buildings around them. “Salamander.” Was the reply.</p><p>The sound of flapping wings reminiscent of Man-Bat’s  made Batman tense. Then a low hiss traced through the breeze. The <em>clack-clack</em> of four clawed limbs landing on metal pulled their attention to the metal dome, and they came face-to-face with the thing that’s been attacking people for the past half-decade.</p><p>Red and gold eyes glared balefully down at the currently assembled Batman and birds, a scaly tail flicking irately behind it. wings were flared and fire danced along the leathery edges while a mane of hair cascaded down the creature’s back. A very faint rattling sound wound through the air and white fangs gleamed in the peeking moonlight as Salamander took stock of the trespassers.</p><p>
  <em>The temperature seemed to rise about five degrees and the Batclan knew that one side wasn’t walking away without a couple injuries to show for it.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey momma can you save me?<br/>How many nights will it take?<br/>Cause I stared down the hell fire,<br/>It's been keeping me awake...<br/>Maybe I was born a sinner,<br/>I might never be a saint.<br/>It's ice cold in the shadows,<br/>One foot in the grave...</p><p>~Devil Inside by CRMNL</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The Nightmare Suddenly Consumes Us {And Wakes Us From Our Dreams}</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>the fight ensues, but ends with a twist that may create a rift between the family of Bats.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter name origin:</p><p>Shinzou wo Sasageyo English cover by Unknown Artist</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>
    <em>Two Years Prior</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>It was like a sick game at this point. Salamander would pop up, Batman would take whoever was available to go after it but would only find a badly beaten up person and some scorch marks behind. Occasionally on patrols Nightwing or Red Robin would report strange markings and gouges on walls and water towers around the city, but other than that, no actual sightings were made. Damian was insistant that he go after the thing responsible for three years of severely injured people but Bruce immediately vetoed the idea, his lesson learned with Jason.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>This was a dangerous entity, animalistic and cruel yes, but Bruce knew that one wrong move would result in another death in the family, and he didn’t think he would be able to handle that again. He had everyone going out in pairs or nothing at all, equipped to take down and stun like always, not kill, but they never saw anything physical with their three-year case.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Until now.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>=›◊‹==›◊‹==›◊‹==›◊‹==›◊‹==›◊‹==›◊‹==›◊‹==›◊‹=</em>
</p><p>Salamander’s mind was roiling. The instincts of <strong><em>INTRUDERS! INVADERS! GET THEM OUT GET THEM OUTGET THEM OUT </em></strong>howled and screeched and clawed at his mind, making fire puff from his mouth and his claws dig into the heating metal under his feet and hands to produce a screech of aluminum and steel. The Batman and his flock were tensed and ready for a fight, lifting their various weaponry and shifting from one foot to another. Red eyes shifted from one Guardian to the next, calculating which to take out first.</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <strike>ÆГРНạ. TÄĸœ τЊЄ ǽĿpĦǻ!</strike>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>Zeroing in on the completely black-clad male, the Salamander let out a roar before spreading his wings. With a single flap the being had rocketed off of the water tower and crashed into the roof beside the black-clothed human, faster than any of them could react to. With an upwards motion, Salamander flexed his claws and lashed out, slicing through cape and flesh to trail three semi-shallow slash marks along the alpha’s back followed by a tail-hit that sent him skipping like a stone over a lake into the doorway to the building. Through the shouts of shock and surprise. Salamander lept to the ledge of the next building and arched his back like those little furry animals did when they warned others away. The scent of iron trailed through the air as first blood was had in the form of a blatant warning- <em>Get out of my territory.</em></p><p>However, that seemed to have the opposite effect that the being was looking for. The Red-Gold-Black Guardian cursed before bringing out a long straight metal stick and charging towards Salamander while the Black-Blue Guardian went for the Alpha. The being hissed and readied his claws, blood dripping from their sharp ends to splash onto the ground. A gunshot ripped through the air and Salamander instinctively lifted a wing to shield himself, the bullet ricocheting off and into the skies overhead. Digging his talons into the stone roof, Salamander spread his wings and rocketed into the sky with a roar.</p><p>
  <em>Stay in the darkness, strike when they are uneasy.</em>
</p><p>Flying far overhead before diving back to the ground, Salamander picked out his first target- Red-Gold-Black.  He wove and spun through the corridors of his territory, closing in quickly and relying on smell and the air currents to pinpoint the exact location he’d strike in. angling upwards, Salamander rocketed over the edge of the building and snagged the cape of his target while dragging him screaming and flailing into the air. The long object in the human’s grasp smacked him in his right wing and Salamander dropped the human for a moment before diving back and catching him again.</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>S…</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>The two flew higher and higher, the wind drowning out the shouts and yells of the Red-Gold-Black Guardian’s companions. The thrill of another hunt, as unplanned as it was, sang in the Salamander’s blood, making his eyes flash a brighter and more vivid red.</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>S…. ow</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>The human in his claws wasn’t struggling anymore- now he was clinging to Salamander’s grip for dear life. The terror he could see in those blue eyes behind the frosted coverings made a thrill like none other Rin through Salamander’s spine- tonight would be one to remember! <em>This liar was going to pay!</em></p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Sto… now!</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>Breaking through the cloud cover and illuminated by the moon, Salamander held the shaking human up and flexed his claws, debating where to mark his prey. Before he did, he wanted to get a good look at him, to memorize the face of his latest triumph. Reaching over, Salamander hooked his claws between the skin of his face and the strange material covering his eyes and <em>pulled</em>, the stuff giving away to reveal-.</p><p>
  <em>Blue…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Blue-blue-blue… green?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>black hair, blue-green? No, just blue…</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Stop it NOW! STOP, STOP IT! JASON WOULDN’T HAVE WANTED THIS!!!</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>And then the Salamander stopped.</p><p>=›◊‹=</p><p>Tim squeezed his eyes closed when those claws seemed to begin their descent, regrets and goodbyes flittering through his mind as he waited for his end to come, and his face barred to this thing. But instead of a painful clawing, a choked warble rumbled from in front of him and he dared to open his eyes. Eyes that were once red with bloodlust were slowly being shifted to a startling gold color, emotions running through them at breakneck speeds.</p><p>Tim blinked in shock when he saw water pooling at the corners of the creature’s eyes, silver in the moonlight, before running down scaly cheeks.</p><p>
  <em>Emotion…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>This thing was crying…? Why?</em>
</p><p>There was a chatter, like teeth clacking together, the smell of smoke and the taste of salt on his lips before the wing beats began to grow spaced out and they were slowly, gently, falling. Clawed hand that had once gripped at Tim’s cape without care of ripping it had hooked under his armpits and held him tightly as to not drop him. everything had taken an insane 180- first he was ready to be mauled to death, then he was being lowered back to earth almost as if this thing… was remorseful.</p><p>Several minutes later the crunch of grass told Tim that they had landed in a park or something. Shaky clawed hands appeared in front of him, holding his mask, and Tim hastily snatched it and pressed onto his face once more, safely Red Robin again. Patting himself down for his staff and not finding it, Red Robin turned back to the Salamander only to see it watching him with, if it were human, hope in its eyes. reaching up to the tattered rag that was wrapped around its top, something like a pocket was opened and a slightly burnt slip of paper was pulled out. Red Robin  watched, though finally slipping his hands into his utility belt to pull out a couple of birdarangs, as golden eyes flickered from the paper to his eyes, then his hair, before the fanged mouth opened.</p><p>
  <em>“<strong>ĴΆφ-ĴæЏ…?</strong>”</em>
</p><p>Red Robin blinked, not understanding a word coming from this thing. It was too guttural and rumbling, but there was something almost child-like there, and the eyes…</p><p>Taking a gamble, Red Robin released his birdarangs and pulled his hand from his utility belt. Reaching out slowly, he extended his hand to the Salamander’s picture and pointed at the paper in it’s claws. A chattering sound came from the mouth full of fangs but after a seemingly deep internal debate it handed the paper over, whining low and painfully, in its chest as it did so.</p><p>
  <em>Holy shit…</em>
</p><p>It was a picture, one of a younger Jason-Fucking-Todd, but the image to the right was burnt pretty good, but even so, the way this thing was acting…</p><p>
  <em>What the actual hell- Jason, what did you do?!</em>
</p><p>It was acting like it knew Jason, like <em>Tim</em> was <em>Jason</em>.</p><p><strong><em>“Uff!”</em></strong> the short bark-like sound pulled Red Robin’s gaze from the image to the thing in front of him. gold eyes were wide and hopeful, but they fell when the vigilante shook his head no. tears welled up again and a clawed hand reached out to take the photo back again, but before Red Robin could make a move to keep the photo or give it back (this was huge, this was a breakthrough, he needed to talk to Jason holy <em>shit</em>) a chillingly familiar sound sliced through the air and the silver steel of a sword was punched through the thing’s side as the creature let out a shriek and staggered to the right. Robin stood behind Salamander and was scowling. <em>“Get your head in place, Red Robin!”</em> the teenager growled as he leapt after the wounded creature.</p><p>Salamander writhed and hissed and screeched, golden eyes flashing between karat golden and blood red. Swinging it’s tail around erratically, keeping Robin and Nightwing at bay, it opened it’s wings and flew off laboriously, dipping from the sky every so often before forcing itself back up higher.</p><p>Red Robin hadn’t known he’d dropped the picture Salamander left behind until someone picked it up.</p><p>=›◊‹=</p><p>Nightwing grit his teeth angrily as he watched the creature fly away. When he saw it snatch Red Robin and fly off his heart was in his throat, and it was only thanks to Oracle that they tracked him to Gotham’s Recreational Park. They were quiet, moving fast and efficiently when they spotted them. Nightwing let out a sigh when he saw Red Robin looked unhurt for the most part, but when Robin sped in and stabbed the thing he thought, ‘there went their chance. Tim’s going to be skewered.’ But instead Salamander just flew away.</p><p>“What is that?”</p><p>Looking over to a patch of grass,  Nightwing saw Red Hood bending over to pick up a slip of paper. Flipping it over, the helmet-wearing younger man let out a choked noise when he saw the hidden side. “What, what is it?” shaking fingers let the paper flutter back to the ground and Batman’s hand snapped out to grab it. though they couldn’t see his eyes, they knew the Dark Knight was effected by whatever was displayed on the paper because his jaw worked, clenching with his other hand from working off the pain of that one attack. Looking up at Red Hood, who was shaking just barely, they knew this was suddenly much bigger than they originally thought…</p><p>And Red Hood, Jason Todd, was somehow right in the middle of it.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>The never ending sound of thunder,<br/>Across the walls that we live under.<br/>The nightmare suddenly consumes us,<br/>And wakes us from our dreams.</p><p>Shinzou wo Sasageyo English cover by Unknown Artist</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. And If You Close Your Eyes {Does It Almost Feel Like You've Been Here Before?}</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Salamander plans, the Bat Family is split between fact and figment, Jason is beginning his own investigation with some help, and some college students worry about their missing fire-lizard.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Origin for Chapter's Title:</p><p>Pompeii by Bastille</p><p>I know the characters are OOC in this story, but I wanted it to do it that way for a reason! Said reason will come to light as the story progresses!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>It wasn’t him.</em>
</p><p>Salamander dipped and fell a ways before crashing onto a rusty human-cliff with a <em>CLANG</em>, holding his side and groaning in pain. The cold bite of steel had seemed to shock through his system, giving him the energy to fly away but overall, the distance was too short to get farther than the being wanted.</p><p>Tears dripped from his eyes, wings drooped and tail dragged as Salamander staggered to the side blindly and fell off the Human-Metal-Cliff to crash to the ground below with a leathery thump. He was too far to get back home, so he would have to wait it out here for the remainder of the night… and day. Pushing himself to his knees, Salamander struggled over to one of the many small holes the city he made his territory in possessed and dug away at the rectangular stone boxes that were coming loose, revealing a small alcove within, just big enough to hide him for the time he needed to rest and assess his injury.</p><p>The Salamander had his injury burnt shut for the time being, his tattered rags used as cushions or bandages and was curled up to sleep the rest of the night and the daytime away as best he could while the events of the night ran through his head. when he got a good look at Red-Gold-Black Guardian, he was close enough to get a nose of his scent… looking back, it <em>wasn’t </em>his Person’s scent at all, it wasn’t <em>Jay-Jay</em>.</p><p>Even so…</p><p>
  <em>Even so…</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Why was Jay-Jay’s scent on him in the first place…?</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>Whatever the case, he had to find out- that Guardian… he didn’t try to hurt him once Salamander put him down. In fact, he looked like he wanted to <em>help</em> maybe, and that had to count for something…</p><p>Even if he had to go through every person in the Territory, despite the Guardians…</p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>Salamander would find his Jay-Jay again.</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>=›◊‹=</p><p>Jason grit his teeth as he threw punch after punch at the sandbag hanging in the Wayne Manor gym. ‘When in doubt, punch it out’, as his current mindset suggested, since he couldn’t go out to the streets again and shoot up a drug ring anymore.</p><p>_____________________</p><p><em>“</em>Why would the Salamander have a picture of Todd of all people?”<em> Damian’s sneer was palpable as the group of men- plus Oracle- gathered at the table in the Batcave while Alfred stitched Bruce’s wound. </em>“How the hell should I know, Demon Spawn, it went after me when it was attacking, then the next thing I knew it was acting like it was talking and pulling out the picture. If anything, we need to ask Jason about it.”</p><p>“Don’t talk like I’m not here, assholes.”<em> Jason’s voice was low and gravelly with a warning, but something else, like he was angry and sad and confused and a million other emotions… like he got when he was </em>missing<em> something big. </em>“But… the picture is only part of this weird puzzle,”<em> Tim said carefully, drawing the attention back to him. Bruce turned his gaze to the eighteen-year-old and sat up once Alfred gave the okay. </em>“What do you mean?”</p><p><em>Tim took a breath. “</em>When it put me down, it gave me my mask back… it couldn’t speak to save it’s life, but it seemed like it tried to. It- Bruce you’ll think I’m crazy, but Salamander… he was crying, like a child finding relief after being lost or something, maybe showing remorse for what it’s done… I think it- <em>he’s</em> just a-.”</p><p>“That’s not possible,”<em> Bruce’s sudden and abrupt dismissal of the possibility that Salamander had something as simple as remorseful or child-like emotions made all the other vigilantes jerk in shock- it was a sudden and uncharacteristic dismissal indeed. </em>“This thing has been severely wounding people for nearly ten years and running. If it had felt remorse, it would have stopped what it was doing, or better yet, wouldn’t have started at all.<em>”</em></p><p><em>Tim’s eyes sharpened uncharacteristically. </em>“So, what? We keep going about this like Salamander is just <strong>a highly intelligent animal that needs to be put down like a dog</strong>?”</p><p><em>That made Damian stiffen slightly- he still liked animals even after his years of being with the Bats. Talk of putting down animals always made him uneasy, but this was different- something in this conversation felt incredibly… </em>wrong<em>.</em></p><p>
  <em>Bruce’s eyes were icy as he thought back on the first case he got for Salamander- five guys babbling about a demon that was covered in fire, had the wings of the devil and the claws of a monster. All fours and with the strength of ten instead of one. all of the men were severely injured, one had his eyes clawed out and another’s arm was permanently paralyzed from the damage it took from the said fire attacking.</em>
</p><p><em>That wasn’t a child, that was a danger to everythi9ng and everyone, an </em>animal<em>.</em></p><p>
  <em>Bruce looked at Tim and spoke without hesitation.</em>
</p><p>“Yes. That thing isn’t human, and even if it was, I don’t think it is anymore. The best thing now is to put it out of it’s misery whenever we get sight of it.”</p><p>
  <em>Dick didn’t like it, but he agreed with Bruce. It would be considered a mercy kill, so it wasn’t something they couldn’t do.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Damian felt an uncomfortable churning in his stomach, but he didn’t argue. Father was right about everything thus far, so this should be something he’s right about as well… right?</em>
</p><p><em>Tim was speechless. Once again his side was being disregarded, but this wasn’t the usual ‘let’s get back to it in a few days’ thing, this was… they were talking about ending a </em>life<em>. As violent and random as these attacks may have been, Salamander hadn’t killed anyone. </em>(<strong>Yet</strong>, the little voice in his mind whispered)<em> if he didn’t talk them out of it, or try to understand who Jason was and/or is to Salamander, something was going to happen that they would regret.</em></p><p><em>Jason heard the verdict Bruce gave, but something in his chest went ice cold at actually processing it. deep in him, Jason Todd was absolutely terrified of having to do this- this ‘mercy kill’. It wasn’t a mercy at all… his gut told him that it would be a </em>murder. <em>Something in him screamed defiance at being given this order. So instead of answering it in any way, he got up and left the Cave to work out the emotions roiling in his gut.</em></p><p>=›◊‹=</p><p>The debrief on their patrol hadn’t helped matters at all, but the thing that still really blew his mind was that the Salamander had a picture of him.</p><p>
  <em>It didn’t make any sense!</em>
</p><p>
  <span class="u">Bang</span>
</p><p>
  <em>Why does that thing have a picture of me?!</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">Bang</span>
  </strong>
</p><p><em>Why did the replacement say that it was looking for someone- looking for </em>me<em>?!</em></p><p>
  <strong>
    <em>
      <span class="u">BANG!</span>
    </em>
  </strong>
</p><p>The sound of a weak hiss snapped Jason from his violent railing on the punching bag to see that he had punched through the worn leather and out the other side. His blood still simmering, the young man yanked his wrapped fist out of the punctured bag and sighed before beginning to pace. There was something <em>missing</em> there… something big that he wasn’t picking up on, it yawned like a pit of empty air in the middle of the ocean- there was <em>nothing there!</em></p><p>“Jason, I need to talk to you.”</p><p>Replacement’s voice made the elder man grind his teeth. “Yeah? Well get in line. Bruce, Golden Boy, and Demon Spawn want a piece of me, so you’re just gonna have to wait!” Tim let out a sharp breath through his nose as he watched from the doorway of the gym. “Jason, Salamander was looking for <em>you</em> for a reason, when he unmasked me, he saw we had similar looks and that’s probably what made him- Jason, he was <em>crying</em>. I can’t stress that enough… you’re important to him for some reason.”</p><p>Jason growled and turned around to hang up another punching bag. “Even if I am important to him, I don’t-!” he froze.</p><p>
  <em>Shit… the missing piece.</em>
</p><p>Tim frowned and leaned forwards. “You don’t… what?”</p><p>Jason opened and closed his mouth for brief periods before he managed to speak. “I-I don’t remember… that’s it!” Tim furrowed his brow before the realization hit him. “The Pit… Bruce confirmed through Talia that an unseen side effect was-.”</p><p>“Memory loss… but there was no telling how much memory I did lose. If I lost as much as I think I did…”</p><p>Grim and tired blue eyes met trembling blue-green.</p><p>“Then you may have known Salamander… and were really close. but <em>who is he?</em>” Jason staggered back and bumped into the wall before sliding down to sit on the ground. “I don’t remember that far… but I’ve been seeing a kid with black hair and gold eyes a lot…but Salamander has red-pink hair, not black.” Tim tapped the side of his leg as he thought. “Looks like we have our own investigation to do… We’ll get to the bottom of this, Jason. I promise.” The older and former crime boss blinked up at the younger male. “Why are you even helping me?”</p><p>Tim gave a wry smile before walking away. “I guess I saw something that reminded me of me in golden eyes. they were crying, yeah… but they were lonely too.”</p><p>=›◊‹=</p><p>“Pipsqueak, stop pacing. Yer gonna burn a trench in the floor.”</p><p>“Lucy and Gray said they hadn’t seen him come back this morning, Gajeel… he always comes back in the morning to put out the lanterns he lit.”</p><p>“I’m sure the lizard is fine, Levy.” Scarlet hair was brushed back and out up in a ponytail. “He’s a tough one, he’ll come back.”</p><p>
  <em>Don’t make a liar out of me, Salamander. Come home safely.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>But if you close your eyes,<br/>Does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?<br/>And if you close your eyes,<br/>Does it almost feel like you've been here before?<br/>How am I going to be an optimist about this?<br/>How am I going to be an optimist about this?</p><p>Pompeii by Bastille.</p><p>Sooooo there are many fanfics out there where Jason is caught in the middle, Dick, even Tim. but what about Damian? I think he needs to be caught in the middle and work his way to one side or another this time! leave reviews and stay healthy, everyone!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. I'm Imagining The Words You Said {When Last I Saw Your Mouth}</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Wound infected, sickness and rot running rampant inside him from Robin's strike nights prior, Natsu starts to surface from underneath Salamander after fleeting glimpses to protect those in his territory.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter Title Origin</p><p>Tightrope by Ron Pope</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gray peered out at the small glade Salamander inhabited with worry creasing this brow. It’s been two days and three nights since the lanterns had been lit and since those said lanterns belonged to were put out not by Salamander, but the owners of the balconies they sat upon. Levy was beside herself with worry, Gajeel unwilling to show it but was just as worried as his girlfriend. Currently it was about eight in the evening on Friday, so they didn’t have any classes to wake up for tomorrow morning.</p><p>The door to Gray’s apartment opened and the group’s collective eyes snapped up to look at the intruder. Erza sighed as she pulled her jacket off and folded her umbrella to lean against the door. “Any sign of him?” Lucy asked what was on everyone’s mind, but they slumped when Erza shook her head in the negative.</p><p>The scarlet-haired woman frowned as she looked at the floor before giving her daily report. “Gotham Recreational Park is still swarming with K-9’s and police units. They’re searching for him- if they think they can find him during the day, he must be really hurt, especially since they’re combing the same spots after a few days time away.” Gray grimaced at that; Lyon was in the GCPD as well and had kept them in the loop about their search for Salamander, but luckily (Or unluckily for the GCPD) they hadn’t found anything yet.</p><p>But that was worrying in and of itself because it’s been nearly a <em>week</em>.</p><p>The Salamander, as unorthodox as his appearance seemed, despite how vicious he defended what he thought was his, had somehow wormed his way into the hearts of everyone gathered in this room. To Gray himself the walking fire hazard was like a particularly hyper and annoying (but still someone he would die for) younger brother. As they bounced ideas off of each other to form searches for their wayward salamander, Gray looked out at the city as it fell asleep for the night.</p><p>
  <em>You little flaming fart… you better be alive.</em>
</p>
<hr/><p>The scent of rot and pain drifted around his nostrils as Salamander forced feverish eyes open. His ribs stuck out from his torso and his once near-glittering scales had become dull and matte-colored. Gently pressing his fingers to his side the Metahuman growled in pain as he forced himself to move. His belly was rumbling with hunger- he had to find food and stay strong or the <em>Black-Darkness-Guardian</em> would find him.</p><p>Years of watching that particular one taught Natsu of his tells, and there was one there that night that wasn’t there before- <em>Black-Darkness-Guardian </em>was ready to kill for once.</p><p>Salamander shivered and a cough thumped against his chest. The fire meta could taste the coppery tang on his tongue and it made a cold block settle in his chest, because usually when he was tasting blood that wasn’t from biting into an enemy or meat from the human-nest-of-blood-and-animal-chopping then it was a very bad sign.</p><p><em>Book-Paws</em>, the Nestmate who would read to Salamander when he visited her and her mate <em>Iron-Face</em>, told him about things like this… she called it… <em>internal bleeding? Infection?</em> Yes, that’s what it was.</p><p>…</p><p>
  <em>And those were bad. By the night, they were very bad indeed.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>I don’t want to die here…</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>I don’t want to die alone in the dark…</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>I need to find Jay-Jay and show him my new nest, show him that I made friends and they cared for me almost as good as he did!</em> </strong>
</p><p>For once, the voice that growled and echoed in Salamander’s mind was silent and he was <em>Natsu</em> again, Jason’s Firefly, if only for a brief moment in time as the red eye slowly lightened back to gold once more after five years of being the color of angry embers and burning coals.</p><p>And stayed gold.</p><p>A scream cut into the night and the moment was gone- gold bled scarlet once more as Salamander rushed to the surface once more and flashing with light on instinct when Salamander lurched in the direction it came from. Lifting his nose to the air he sniffed past the smell of decay and infection and found a sickening odor in the winds- the stench of <em>Male-Mating-Unwilling-Female-Mating</em> and <em>Blood-Blood-Tears-Anger-FEAR</em> wreathing the air and making his blood boil at the implications.</p><p>Sharp teeth grit into a snarl as Salamander limped down the alleyway and towards the place of conflict.</p><p>Hurt he may be, he also had a duty to protect his territory…</p><p>And everyone in it.</p><p>=›◊‹=</p><p>Robin swung down the dark streets with a troubled scowl under his mask. It was his turn to patrol the waterfronts this week and while he hated the area of Gotham he was assigned he could grudgingly admit that it gave him time to think on the divide that had formed in the Wayne household. Father was firmly standing his ground about killing the aberrant Salamander; while it was something Damian had grown up with in the League of Assassins, hearing it from his father, someone who <em>abhorred</em> killing and firearms in general and even went so far as to bar Jason from bringing <em>nerf guns</em> into the manor, was a rather jarring change.</p><p>A sudden movement pulled at the youngest Wayne’s attention and he dropped to a freight crate near Gotham River’s edge. Robin’s eyes widened when he saw the object of his conflicting thoughts, <em>Salamander</em>, limping heavily but with a determined and constant gait towards a run-down warehouse. Robin was confused as to why the creature was limping so badly, favoring his left side and even using one of his oversized wings to act as a replacement leg when the knee gave out for a moment, before he remembered stabbing clean through the being’s body when saving Red Robin from its clutches.</p><p>Robin traced it’s unwavering trajectory and closed his eyes in resignation. Slowly drawing his sword, Robin shot his grapple gun and descended from the roof he was watching from to land behind the limping  creature.</p><p>Salamander stiffened, tail stilling and body shaking, before he let his shoulders droop. Robin could see his right arm was wrapped around his front, as if holding something in, but the makeshift bandages made from grimy filth-covered clothes and rags filled the Batclan member in pretty quickly, and for the first time in a long time Robin had to swallow back the bitter taste of regret.</p><p><em>If I don’t do this it will become even more dangerous.</em> Robin told himself as he lifted his katana blade. Salamander moved, straightening his body and turning to look at his soon-to-be killer, and Robin- <em>Damian</em>- stopped.</p><p>Rubies and golden bars.</p><p>Dull and fever-bright but determined to reach their goal.</p><p>Salamander stared into the white glass from the domino mask under the hood Robin wore before huffing weakly, a pathetic sputter of smoke jetting from his mouth before he furrowed his brow and turned back to the warehouse he was going to.</p><p>Robin hadn't seen someone with that look in a long time, a look that showed someone on a mission they may well die on but was going to see it through to the end.</p><p>And for some reason, it made the Bat Boy lower his blade… and step back. It was as if an invisible hand had gently stayed his will to strike.</p><p>The Salamander shot one last look at the Robin before barking croakily and jerking his chin towards the warehouse. Robin blinked. “You want me to follow you?” Salamander nodded before continuing on his way. He only made three steps before he fell to a knee and coughed violently, making Robin reach forwards in alarm.</p><p>A puddle of smelly black liquid was forming under Salamander’s heaving body and his claws dug into the flesh covered by the bandage. Robin actually felt sick this time when he recalled the argument that had happened only a week ago in the Cave.</p><p><em>Salamander could just be a child looking for his family- by his size, he could be younger than I am… Drake hadn’t had a scratch on him when I got there… </em>Salamander moaned painfully as he stood and swayed before slamming a scaly palm onto the side of a building to keep his balance.<em> What’s keeping him so fixated? His wound is infected and he’s- he’s essentially rotting from the inside out if the stench is anything to go by. I don’t know anything about his physiology but this is a scale of internal bleeding and severe infection seen on only the most untreated victims-…</em> Robin followed behind the Salamander as he limped to the door of their destination.</p><p><em>He’s fixed on this place… but </em>why<em>?</em></p><p>The Salamander took a breath before his lips- stained black with the sludge he had ejected- curled into a ferocious snarl. He slammed the door open and instantly chaos ensued. Robin sprang into action as he simultaneously gathered info on the situation- a sex-trafficking ring, by the looks of it. the count of nine or ten women or young girls locked in cages or-. Salamander let out a roar of rage as he sliced the eyes of a man with his claws, the pig squealing as he was taken down.</p><p>Robin knocked another man out and got to work on another. A third man screamed something about a demon as Salamander worried his leg and choked him out with his tail until he passed out from oxygen deprivation. There were thirty men at the start and by the time Robin had taken out but four, half of the original number had been taken out by Salamander himself.</p><p>But the creature was tiring.</p><p>Robin saw his eyes dulling as the pain, fatigue, and sickness set in. the youngest of the BatClan took a breath. “Salamander, free them!”</p><p>Feverish eyes flicked to the young man before the creature nodded and drunkenly ran to the cages. While Robin took care of the remaining men he reached in with a wing and crooned softly to the cowering females within. Salamander was exhausted, his inner fire was spluttering weakly but he’d give the remaining sparks to make sure these Females were safe. Reaching up for the lock Salamander gripped the metal and with a low snarl yanked it off, shattering the iron easily and throwing the door open. Instantly the girls streamed out and raced for the far corner. Salamander followed a short distance behind, shooting a look back at the <em>Red-Black-Green</em> Guardian as he took down the last of the <em>Mate-Seekers-Evil-Humans</em>.</p><p>As the Guardian turned to assess the situation Salamander heard a faint ‘<em>Click</em>’, one he was very familiar with. Gold and red eyes snapped to the area high in the <em>Rusting-Human-Nest</em> and saw a human with the Thunder-Sticks aiming at <em>Ted-Black-Green</em> Guardian.</p><p>Despite the sickness and pain and exhaustion weighing Salamander down, the metahuman’s body became feather light and moved on it’s own.</p><p>He had caught the faint scent of his Jay-Jay on this Guardian, and if he wanted to find him, this one had to be alive… at the very least, Salamander felt that if Jay-Jay and the <em>Red-Black-Green</em> Guardian were close Jay-Jay would be sad if he got hurt.</p><p>The flash of silver came up just as the crack of thunder reached Salamander’s tapered ears, and the pain of the bullet slammed through his weakened scales as if they were leaves trying to shield a person from a rain of hail. In a spray of blood, Salamander, <strong><em>Natsu</em></strong>, collided with the young Guardian.</p><p>The last thing he remembered was the Females screaming and the Guardian’s voice shouting his name, Salamander, before falling into the sea of shadows and flickering greys.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong> <em>Jason stiffened as he felt something like a warm puff of wind flit over his neck from his hunched position over the bat-computer. He had been looking for missing persons reports spanning back seven to ten years.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Gray paused in his pacing and looked up at the cloudy skies, feeling as if someone poked him in the back with a warm, if sharp, stick.</em></strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Erza jumped as she cut her finger on a carrot she was cutting up to put in hers and Jellal's dinner, knowing her lapse in concentration was because something bad had happened.</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Lucy, Levy, and Gajeel fell silent as they spoke after meeting up during another sweep of Gotham’s downtown, the air warming up just slightly before chiling.</em></strong>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I woke up before the sun,<br/>Chased your ghost across the yard...<br/>Through the fog and tumbling dark 'til you were gone.<br/>My Brother, I can hardly breathe,<br/>I've forgotten how to sleep...<br/>And your face still haunts my dreams when I'm alone...</p><p>(Edited the verse for story purposes)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. It Gave A Whisper {Of The Fragrance Of Hope}</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Damian and Tim fight to save a wounded Metahuman's life. Running into said Meta's support group gives them more questions than answers about who Salamander may be and just how he got these people in his corner.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter Title Origin</p><p>Last Inferno by Ceui from The Legend of the Legendary Heroes anime</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Robin stilled his hand at the spray of blood erupting from Salamander’s body as they both crashed to the ground in a heap of scaly limbs and Kevlar fabric. The women in the corner were screaming, the sniper from overhead had cursed when he’d missed his intended target and hurried to reload but Robin was in shock. The bloodthirsty creature that even <em>Batman</em> said had to be put down just <em>saved </em>his <em>life</em>.</p><p>Before Robin knew it he was up and dragging Salamander over to the women. They had fallen silent and one brave girl reached over and dug dirty fingers into Salamander’s hair. Her eyes were unusually bright and strong for someone who had just been held in a sex trafficking ring, and she looked Robin square in the eyes through the mask’s lens. She rasped out three words with a protective arm wrapped around the still and bleeding metahuman: <strong><em>“Go get him.”</em></strong></p><p>Instantly Robin was jumping for the rafters, using his grappling hook to swing towards the gunman and finish the job.</p><p>___</p><p>
  <strong> <em>I’m… cold…</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>“Get him- bloodloss is gonn-!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Can’t tak-! –atcave, B-ould kill-!”</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>W-who is that…?</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>“-alive?!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Less talking Demon Spawn, more hurrying!”</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Jay-Jay?</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>…</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>No… it’s more like… snow…?</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Smells like… smells like… home…</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>…</em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <em>“Oh my god…”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Gray, wait!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You BASTARDS! Give him back!”!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“Salamander, you’re gonna be okay, you hear me?”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You vile-!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“When I’m done with you two, you’ll wish you’d NEVER taken up those capes!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em>“You call yourselves heroes?!”</em>
</p><p>
  <em> <span class="u">Warm hands… slightly chilled fingers running through his hair and trailing the scent of spearmint and wintergreen and snow… fond ruffles and back massages… Stories read and the scent of iron and steel being wafting through the Glade… stardust and crimson strands, blue marks and silver crosses flitted across his mind.</span> </em>
</p><p>
  <strong>...</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Yes… </em> </strong>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>I’m… home…</em> </strong>
</p><p>___</p><p>The fight was over before it escalated with any more victims. Robin shouldn’t have been surprised that Red Robin was waiting nearby, but he could count himself lucky he was, not that the youngest of the Batclan would admit to such a claim. Working together the two brought down the gunman and while Red made off with the unresponsive Salamander and Robin contacting the police and making sure the women were all accounted for and safe (They had even covered for Red Robin to get Salamander away from the area undetected), the youngest Batclan member had found Red Robin hovering over the severely injured Metahuman several blocks away on top of an apartment building.</p><p>Even though Tim had his mask on Damian knew he was panicking, if the way his hands fluttered uselessly around the Meta’s wounds were anything to go by.</p><p>“I have-.” Red Robin swallowed past the sudden lump in his throat as he pressed two fingers to Salamander’s jugular, feeling the weakening pulse. “I have <em>no idea</em> how to help him…” Robin stared in an uncharacteristic span of silence. The Metahuman between them groaned almost inaudibly and his eyes fluttered, not even opening halfway before they shut again and his chest jumped, black fluid leaking through his teeth. Red Robin grit his teeth and hoisted the meta upright, slinging an arm over his shoulder. “Robin, get his other arm- if we get him to the motorcycles we can have Agent A meet us at one of the safe houses with supplies before he loses too much blood from the gunshot wound.”</p><p>For once the younger didn’t argue and did what his predecessor asked of him. “Agent A would never go behind Batman’s back, Red.”</p><p>The two unanimously decided that it was safer for the Meta if they traveled at street level rather than jumping from the rooftops, so they carefully descended a fire escape and hobbled down the dark alleyways with the beta suspended between them. his wings made a sound similar to leather dragging against gravel as they were rubbed across the concrete. His wounds bled still, the injury Robin inflicted on him days prior bleeding through his meager bandaging and leaving a trail of blood behind him.</p><p>Red Robin breathed in shakily as he focused on the words Robin said rather than their precious cargo. At this point he figured conversation would be better than panic. “And we can’t take him to the Cave, Bats will kill him, remember? We can trust A to have our backs-!” Red Robin fell silent and froze in his gait.</p><p>Robin, having caught the same thing Red did, went shock still as well before they quickly shuffled into the shadows of an alleyway. <em>‘What is it?’</em> Robin mouthed. <em>‘Group around corner.’</em> Red answered, eyes trained on the mouth of the alleyway. Five different voices began to drift to the boy’s ears and they tensed when the first one of the group came into view. It was a man, probably in the middle of his college career. He held an LED flashlight in one hand, the white beam cutting through the shadows as he swung it from side to side before the light stilled on the ground. Very slowly, it seemed to follow a path, tracing some sort of line leading from one end of the opening of the alleyway to the inside. Robin stiffened when he saw the red shine of blood on the ground.</p><p><em>Salamander’s </em>blood.</p><p>The light beam seemed to shake before it landed on the three crouched in the alleyway, Salamander’s tail, wings, the blood on his limp form being the focus.</p><p>“Fullbuster, what’s the proble-?” a gruff voice made Red Robin jolt and his eyes widened when they saw a tall and muscular man come into view behind the first one, his own light in hand. He seemed to choke on his words when he saw what the first (<em>Fullbuster,</em> what kind of name was that?) had.</p><p>“Oh, my god…” a girl’s voice came next and a blonde with wide and wet eyes stared in shock at the three. Robin felt something akin to unease curl in his gut and he jabbed Red in the side. <em>We need to leave, NOW.</em> “Look, we’ve got everything under control,” Red Robin tried to dissuade the growing group- a redheaded woman who’s hair put <em>Barbra’s</em> to shame, and a girl with blue-dyed hair were blocking the alleyway- that was staring with incredulous shock at the state of the meta in their grip.</p><p>“I need you to-.” <em>“You BASTARDS! GIVE HIM BACK!!”</em> Things shot from zero to five-hundred in the blink of an eye. With the injured metahuman between them Robin and Red Robin couldn’t dodge the sudden rush Fullbuster made at them. the pale, dark-haired male was surprisingly quick, lunging and getting between them before they could register what was happening. The other four rushed after him, a cacophony of shouting voices and yelled threats.</p><p><strong><em>“EVERYONE SHUT UP!”</em></strong> and just like that, the uproar was silenced. The red-head stepped forwards, her very presence cowing the others and even Robin to an extent. <em>She feels like Mother…</em> the Grandson of the Demon thought. Grey eyes glared at Red Robin and his younger companion as she reached over to the first male, tenderly caressing her fingers through blood-soaked strands of pink.</p><p>“Levy, call Jellal and Leon. Tell them we found him.”</p><p>“Right.”</p><p>“Gray ride with Lucy. Get him to the Hidden World and get the Willow ready. Gajeel, you’re with me.”</p><p>“Right.”</p><p>“Hn.” The first man to see them, <em>Gray</em>, gave a grunt and reached for Salamander’s body, taking it gently and carefully, almost wrapping his body around the smaller frame as if to protect it.</p><p>“<em>You two,”</em> Tim and Damian, not Red Robin and Robin, for this woman’s presence was enough to make them feel like the kids they were, stiffened, letting Salamander get pulled from their grips and into <em>Gray’s</em> arms before the two assigned to transport raced off. <em>“You will come with us, you will turn off whatever tracking devices Batman gave you, and you had better pray to whatever gpds you believe in that our little brother lives... If he doesn't, not even the Dark Knight himself can save you from our wrath.”</em></p><p>The woman holds out her hand, prompting Damian and Tim to hand over the two blinking objects. She scrutinized them for a moment before dropping them and smashing them under her boot with a <em>crunch</em>.</p><p>Turning around, she glared at them over her shoulder. “Just because you two and Batman don’t have powers and are dangerous, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t apply to <em>us</em> as well. Now come.”</p><p>Silently, the two boys followed the angry woman , her hair fanning behind her like strange wispy, fiery wings… <em>fairy</em> wings…?</p><p>“Titania, you coming?” the rough voice of their other escort, Gajeel was his name, filtered from the mouth of the alleyway and she answered with a ‘Yes’ before hurrying in her steps.</p><p>Tim jerked, recognizing the name. <em>‘Queen of the Faeries? She certainly has the attitude…’</em></p><p>But deep down the two Batclan members felt the roil of a hundred questions:</p><p>
  <em>Who were these people?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>How did they know Salamander?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Why were they so attached?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Did they know what he did to the citizens of Gotham at night?</em>
</p><p>
  <strong> <em>Did they know who he was?</em> </strong>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I look upon the door of recollection<br/>And I listened to the distant whisper<br/>As it lead me through my soul's labyrinth<br/>Along the path of a single speck of light...</p><p> </p><p>______</p><p>Okay I know pretty much everyone in the BatFam is OOC and I meant for that to happen- this focuses on sides they may have but never show, IE Bruce's willingness to kill anything more animal than man, Damian's indecisiveness and lack of sharp murder-y ness, Dick's constant siding with Bruce, it all ties in to what I'm working towards.</p><p>And oh my gods yall i feel like shit today- i was throwing up and had a fever of 101 but i wasn't coughing or anything... I don't think its Covid, just the bug, but i cranked this out for you cuz i didnt wanna leave you hanging... sorry of its as bad as i think it is- i can redo it later.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. I See Your Monsters {I See Your Pain} (Pt. 1)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>I will tell you five stories within this story:</p>
<p>The story of how Gray, Lucy, Erza, Gajeel, and Levy met the infamous Salamander, the stories where Salamander manages to bond with them, who he is, and the mysterious connection to a figure faded beyond recognition in old weather-beaten polaroid's.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter Title Origin and song used in the Chapter</p>
<p>Monsters by Timeflies</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A blue and gold transit van with a strange symbol painted on the lower right front bumper screeched around the corner halfway through Gotham City. Lucy focused on driving the van while Gray was trying his best to assess the damage in the dim lighting they had. Cool fingers felt along the two most prominent wounds, ignoring the minor scrapes and cuts that Natsu had accumulated during his time missing. Weakly, two glowing red and gold eyes fluttered open and Gray sucked in a breath when he saw Natsu even awake- he was in such bad shape the thought of the meta opening his eyes until they got him helped wasn’t even a possibility.</p>
<p>“H-hey, kid,” Gray swallowed thickly as a clawed hand twitched and scrabbled for his own, instantly prompting the college student to grip it tightly. <strong><em>“Hh-huuurrtttssss…”</em></strong> a low whimper trickled from Natsu’s mouth alongside a drop of blood. When fingers brushed against the infected front of the old stab wound Gray shuddered, reaching over and pulling out a roll of bandages from a side compartment near them. “I know, Firefly, I know. We’re gonna fix you right up, promise.”</p>
<p>A scaly tail wrapped around Gray’s forearm weakly as the hand holding his tightened.</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>“S-ssscared… cooold.”</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>Gray went still at the word ‘cold’. <em>Natsu</em> didn’t <em>get cold</em>. The man turned and banged a fist on the wall of the transit, a sliver of panic fueling his actions.</p>
<p>“Lucy, step on it!” The van’s acceleration revved and they went even faster. “Hang on, we’re almost there!” Gray turned back to his job, methodically wrapping clean white bandages around Natsu’s torso and gunshot wound, which was an easy entry and exit in his right shoulder, in place of the filthy grime-soaked ones. To fight off encroaching panic and in an attempt to calm Salamander down Gray began to hum a tune their small group knew under his breath. It was a tune that they would sing to the Metahuman when he crashed in their apartments from rough nights that resulted in him injured, nights of not finding whoever it was he was searching for, nights of nightmares and tears falling from his golden eye while his red was glowing and vermilion with his inner fire. They would sing it to him when the dragonized meta couldn’t handle who he is or who he used to be.</p>
<p>With the transit speeding past every intersection and violating probably every traffic law in Gotham City, Gray wasn’t able to do it perfectly but he figured it was better than nothing, so he did what he could to keep Natsu calm.</p>
<p>Natsu’s eyes fluttered, seeming to recognize the tune even in his feverish haze. Gray tied off the last knot of bandages and eased Natsu back into his side, a protective arm around his shoulders and a hand carefully folding sceathery wings into a more comfortable position and running cool fingers through the gaps. Gray ran his other hand through matted stained hair, shushing the whimpering metahuman as they neared their destination with their song. He remembered when he first met the kid- Natsu had probably been ten or eleven at the time. He was the first in the friend group to form a bond, terrifying as their first meeting was, with the feral metahuman.</p>
<p>
  <span class="u">=›◊‹=</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The first time Gray met the Salamander, he was walking home from a late night at the sculpting lab at Gotham University. It had been a rough day for the college freshman as it was the fifth anniversary of his adoptive mother’s death.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>World-famous sculptor Ur Milkovitch, August 16<sup>th</sup>, 1989 to December 25<sup>th</sup>, 2018, strangled to death by a member from the Tartarous Cult only known as Deliora, but not before taking him down with her, locking them both in a walk-in freezer for over 72 hours before they both succumbed to the frost.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Gray was out of it all day, and when he came back to the land of awareness he found that he’d crafted a miniature figure of a woman with angel-clear hair and gentle eyes gazing up from frozen glass. He stashed the figurine into the deepest part of the deep-freeze before he then noticed the time- 1:45 AM. Gray came to Gotham not just to be a student, but to forget. He wanted to forget how Ur’s death was his fault as he believed, he wanted to forget how everyone he loved would die sooner than later because he was a curse… so he ran from the one place he was known and ‘looked out’ for.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Gray was taking a short cut through Gotham Recreational Park that very early morning-night. He hadn’t cared about the amount of criminal activity Gotham had going on at the time, in fact, he’d wanted something to go after him, just to shut the voice calling him a curse in his head up for even a moment. He felt someone watching him as he shuffled down the sidewalk, and not even five minutes away from the exit of the park the ice-sculptor was jumped and cornered by five men with strange tribal tattoos… which were vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t place why.</em>
</p>
<p>“Say, buddy. You got twenty bucks?” <em>One with a mohawk steps forwards, a patch over his right eye and his left looking Gray over as if appraising him.</em></p>
<p>“Rules in Gotham are that every gang has a section as their territory, and this park just so happens to be ours.”<em> one of the men, sporting a military-style buzz-cut, stepped forwards, chewing on a wad of tobacco before spitting the black wad out onto the sidewalk. Gray’s nose wrinkled in disdain as he eyes the five before him. </em>“…Sorry, don’t have any cash.”<em> One of the guys, Gray decided to call him Q-Ball since he was bald, scoffed and side-eyed his friends, a smirk on his chapped lips. </em>“Now, see… didn’t your mamma tell you to not lie to your betters?”<em> they began to surround him and Gray finally began to feel uneasy. </em>“Look, if I had cash, you think I’d be wandering the park at two am when it’s balls-to-the-walls sticky in the middle of summer?”<em> the one he’d back-talked, Q-Ball, gained an unsavory glint in his eye before he reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a switchblade. Gray’s eyes widened as he got into a defensive stance.</em></p>
<p>“Well, you know what they say- there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Maybe you can offer us some blood in exchange for passage.”</p>
<p>“Shit,” <em>Gray muttered in alarm as the five charged him. he staggered back, dropping his sketchbook filled with his plans for future projects to the ground as he prepared to avoid getting stabbed.</em></p>
<p><em>Suddenly a low howl rippled through the air all around them and the five men paused. one of them, a younger kid who couldn’t have been older than middle school and was already looking like he’d regretted his life’s decisions, was shaking like a leaf, the scar tracing down his right eyebrow distorted and wrinkled as blue eyes shot left and right over their heads looking for the unearthly sound. </em>“Oi, Osiris?” <em>the kid’s voice shook as his eyes seemed to lock onto something just over Gray’s top right, where a streetlamp stood. Gray saw that they had all frozen, eyes wide and staring up at the spot with something akin to horror and terror. </em>“S-S-Sala-Salamander!”</p>
<p>
  <em>Gray finally turned around and saw a creature that reminded him of the images that gave newcomers to Gotham warnings about Man Bat- recently, a new warning was made on the internet. The red-scaled metahuman, the monster that not even Batman was able to catch. It had appeared only ten months ago but had already made a splash in the criminal world. It was a savage animal, leaving its victims alive with life-altering injuries.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The only difference this thing had from Man-Bat was the form of its body and wings- which were more akin to a falcon’s- and the scales rather than leathery membrane as well as the sound of a rattlesnake’s rattle and a wind chime which seemed to meld together when it spread its wings. Glowing red eyes glared down from above before a roar shook the air and the red eyes formed twin trails of crimson as it shot into the air.</em>
</p>
<p>“FUCKIN’ SCATTER! IT’LL GO AFTER THE-!”<em> with a scream, Mohawk was lifted into the air mid-command. The sounds of snarls, roaring and hissing, flesh ripping and blood spattering the concrete  from above made Gray want to vomit, and when Mohawk’s body came falling back to earth the sculptor actually did. Mohawk’s arms were turned to ribbons, his shirt shredded beyond recognition and his legs turned into mincemeat.</em></p>
<p>And he was still alive, if that screaming was anything to go by.</p>
<p>
  <em>That made the remaining four scatter and the demon in the sky shriek in glee to give chase. Gray jumped to his feet and took off in a separate direction, jumping the fence of the park and leaving the horrible screams behind him, completely forgetting his sketchbook.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>As the screams of four voices faded into the night, a clawed and scaly hand, still tiny and slightly soft, reached into the lamplight and snatched the book up before the thudding of displacing air filled the area.</em>
</p><hr/>
<p><em>The college student sprinted through the nightlit streets and felt ice in his veins totally different than what he worked with then he heard flapping wings over him, the faint chime-rattle of death above him. there was a primal thing in his mind telling him to run, hide, bury himself under a rock and never come out while this </em>predator<em> was still hunting him. Gray looked left and right frantically before spotting a high brick wall, old and faded with time, graffiti and strange scorch marks slashing the brick and mortar but Gray figured anywhere was better than out here.</em></p>
<p>
  <em>Gray lunged for a small wriggle space at the base of the crumbling wall, forcing his large body through the opening and staggered into the area. An enraged-sounding howl rippled the air and Gray staggered back as soon as he forced his way through and into the grass on the other side, panting heavily as the thing seemed to lose him. The sculptor swallowed as the sounds of wing beats seemed to fade before he actually got a look at his surroundings.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>A huge willow tree stood in the center of what could be mistaken for a portal to a faerie’s playground. Fireflies flickered as they drifted through the air, making small dust motes twinkle with their number. A string of fairy lights, dimmed and rusted but still functional, was weaved through the willow. A ring of fire lilies surrounded a small manmade pond and the grass was surprisingly springy and silky, not like the grass in the stuffy neighborhoods or in the cracks of the sidewalks, but more like in the natural setting of a forest where it could grow to sooth the pads of a weary traveler or animal.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>As Gray stepped hesitantly into the area, a hidden world in and of itself, he didn’t notice the glow of curious red eyes watching him from the window of the abandoned building making up one of the Hidden World’s barriers.</em>
</p>
<p>“Wow… this place is amazing!” <em>Gray’s lips lifted in a dazed sort of awe as he watched a firefly land on his shirt before flying away. It was a rather large one so Gray easily kept track of it as it went higher, and higher… higher, flashing it’s light in the window of that abandoned building and illuminating a scaly humanoid face with fangs and horns, large wings acting like curtains around the figure-.</em></p>
<p>
  <em>Gray’s heart nearly stopped.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>The accursed rattle-chime made his knees turn to jelly and he fell hard on his ass when the creature landed ten feet away  in front of him. There was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Gray did the only thing he could think of and looked away.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span class="u">*Thump-Thump-Thump-Shhhh* * Thump-Thump-Thump-Shhhh * * Thump-Thump-Thump-Shhhh *</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p><em>The sound of Salamander’s tail and all fours stepping and dragging across the grass made Gray tense. When the noise stopped not two feet away from him, Gray realized that four steps weren’t heard, but three, as if it was holding a limb up from the ground. </em>‘Was it hurt…?’<em> Gray thought. Cautiously, Gray cracked opened an eye and instantly it flew open in shock.</em></p>
<p>
  <em>A blue and black velvet book was held out delicately to him from small clawed hands as glowing red eyes seemed to fade to a slight fire-orange color. The pupils, catlike once with rage, had rounded out in what could be taken for curiosity.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Gray blinked as a low warble and a nudge with the book snapped him from his stupor. The man grabbed the book from the thing and shot to his feet, scrambling back from Salamander with wide eyes. Salamander uttered a wobbling croon and tilted it’s head to the side, wings shuffling and tail curling around its knees. Gray stared as the creature seemed to perk up as if getting an idea and barked lightly, spinning around and bounding towards the willow before scrambling up its trunk. The clangs and rattling of god-knows-what made Gray jump before Salamander reappeared with a faded Polaroid in its clawed hands. It held the image out to Gray and he shakily took it after much insistence from the creature.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>I see your monsters, I see your pain.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Tell me your problems, I'll chase them away.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>It was an image of a boy around fifteen, maybe fourteen years old. There may have been another person in the image, but it had been burned out quite a while ago, it seemed. The boy was grinning, carefree as he seemed to be looking at what was the other side of the image it it hadn’t been burned out.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>I'll be your lighthouse. I'll make it okay.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>When I see your monsters I'll stand there so brave and chase them all away.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p><em>Gray looked from the image to the creature as the weird sense of dawning came over him. Salamander was looking for someone… no, </em>it may have already lost someone<em> if the look in their eyes was anything Gray knew… and he should know, since he’s seen that look in his own eyes every time he got up and got ready for the day.</em></p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>A cup of coffee still steaming,</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Staring back at me and it's blacker than the night, eh.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>I'm awake but still sleeping,</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>I keep telling myself I'll be alright (I won't).</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Salamander was running as well, letting out this… whatever it was in the only way they knew how- hunting the things they saw responsible for the loss. In this case, brightly-hair colored thugs who like to gang up on others. Gray sighed and shook his head no, knowing the crushed look in Salamander’s eyes was inevitable but already, despite only knowing the thing for less than an hour, hating how the light seemed to dull from the bushfire-orange eyes.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>And I know it can't get worse than today,</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Sitting here and she's trying to rehearse what to say.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>See, he's in the bathroom and hoping I'm not in earshot,</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>While he's getting used to the sound of his teardrops.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Before Gray could open his mouth and speak, the red overtook the flame-colored orbs and Salamander hissed. Spreading their wings, the now-feral metahuman shot like a bullet into the skies, a roar unlike the past few Gray had heard ripping the skies.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Splash, it hits the tile,</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>And I know it's been awhile,</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Since you've seen me smile and laugh, like I used to.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>I've been in denial since it happened,</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Just take me to the past,</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>'Cause I just can't imagine losing you, too.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>I can't explain this so I keep it all inside,</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Wear my pain but it's masked by my pride.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>She came to hold me and she cried,</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p><em>It made Gray’s heart clench… and he felt the sting in his eyes. Gray wanted to cry for the creature who couldn’t cry themselves, it seemed. It was sudden and instantaneous. Crazy and unorthodox, insane, self-sacrificing… but Gray </em>saw<em> Salamander. He was the first to see that this monster had some monsters itself.</em></p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Told me this and she stared into my eyes she said:</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <span class="u">=›◊‹=</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>In his dorm room, nearly every night after the first meeting between the sculptor and the Metahuman, Gray would see the shadows of feather-esque wings, feel the glow of red eyes watching him from afar, hear the rattle-chime of the metahuman as it zipped by and attacked wherever it saw fit.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>And so, six weeks later, Gray found himself looking for the Hidden World. It was the beginning of September, the nip of fall starting to trail it’s fingers over the air of the night. Gray huffed as he searched around where he felt the general area of the Hidden World was, belatedly realizing that it was ‘Hidden’ for a reason.</em>
</p>
<p>‘I could see it,’<em> Gray thought as he looked for that crumbling wall.</em></p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>“I see your monsters, I see your pain.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Tell me your problems, I'll chase them away.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>I'll be your lighthouse. I'll make it okay.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>When I see your monsters I'll stand there so brave, and chase them all away.”</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>‘The Salamander had the same eyes I do… but they looked too <em>young</em> to be like mine.’ <em>Gray paused when he heard the familiar sound and turned around slowly to find Salamander watching him with a kind of bone-deep exhaustion. Blood stained their claws and seemed to have splashed on their chin and around the edges of their mouth. Looking closer, Gray could see a few ribs poking from the flimsy cloth that barely passed for clothing that was pressed against scaly skin. Salamander huffed warily, its right eye lightening into the strange flame orange color before the creature spread its wings and glided off to the west.</em></p>
<p>
  <em>Gray followed.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>I can't, you won't like what you see.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>If you were in my head and had to hear my plea.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>It's like, I can't believe this is happening to me.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Finally finding the Hidden World Gray found it was dark without the firefly’s lights. The fairy lights had long since gone out in the willow and the life that had danced in the clearing seemed to have been sucked out. Looking around worriedly, Gray spotted the Salamander’s tail, twitching softly against a wall. Strange choked noises were coming from the creature and the college student took cautious steps towards the shaking metahuman. </em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>And could someone please shut off this fucking answering machine,</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>So I can stop leaving these messages that you will never get.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>And all these cries for help you'll never see, you'll never check.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>But I guess it's easy for you to leave me.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>But believe me, see this isn't something that I'mma just forget.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Rounding the corner Gray saw what could have been the equivalent of a small shrine. Photos of the same boy that he had seen in the picture those weeks ago covered a badly scorched wall. Small trinkets, crude carvings, objects and ribbons woven through connected bottle caps to make a strange ordainment from the far reaching willow branches.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>I would trade it all for one more minute,</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Don't you see I really need you to talk to.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Uh, I'm still sitting here wondering who did it,</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>While I'm staring out our front door knowing you'll never walk through.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p><em>Looking down at Salamander, Gray saw that this thing was </em>mourning<em>.</em></p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Said you'd come right back,</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Now you're gone like that.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>A blank stare as I stand so alone,</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>I know you're never coming home.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Damn.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Empathizing with the metahuman, the sculptor slowly and quietly sat down next to the crying being. Shoulders stiffened and the creature’s head snapped upwards, wide eyes swimming in tears and Gray sucked in a breath.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>I see your monsters, I see your pain.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Tell me your problems, I'll chase them away.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>I'll be your lighthouse. I'll make it okay.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>When I see your monsters I'll stand there so brave, and chase them all away.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p><em>This-this wasn’t an animal, hell this wasn’t even the face of a man who was hell-bent on revenge… this was a <span class="u">child</span>. This was a lost child trying to accept something they were far too young to <strong>have</strong> to accept… just like Gray had been at one point, like Gray </em>still<em> was. Gray wet his lips and slowly raised a hand, making sure Salamander could see his every movement. He reached forwards and settled his hand into the spiky mane of red and black hair, rubbing the tresses gently.</em></p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Uh, I got a heart made of fool's gold,</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Got me feeling so cold.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>They keep chipping away.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>All the promises that I told</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Felt like I was on those,</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>They keep slipping away.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Gray turned to the photos, some scorched and some not, as he scratched the Salamander’s scalp gently. A low moan was the only warning the nineteen year old had before his side was being smothered by a shaking metahuman child.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Salamander felt the Wet-Wet-Heavy-Salt falling from his eyes as he snuggled into Not-Jay-Jay’s side. The scent of wintergreen and ice was heavy on the human but Salamander didn’t care. He was so tired of being alone, he wanted someone, he wanted Jay-Jay… but Not-Jay-Jay found him and sat with him… Salamander was so confused…</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>I want nobody else,</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>But it's hard to get to know me when I don't know myself.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>And it helps 'cause I felt I was down, I was out,</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Then you looked at me now and said:</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Gray sighed when he felt the tremors stilling against his side. He ran cold fingers down Salamander’s spine and huffed in amusement when the kid relaxed even more. He could see even more now than he did that night they had first crossed paths. Glancing down Gray hummed and spoke to the lonely creature lost in his grief…</em>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>“I see your monsters, I see your pain.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Tell me your problems, I'll chase them away.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>I'll be your lighthouse. I'll make it okay.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>When I see your monsters I'll stand there so brave.”</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <span class="u">=›◊‹=</span>
</p>
<p>Gray’s voice cracked when Lyon and Jellal threw open the doors of the transit, eyes wide with shock when they saw the condition Natsu was in. Blood stained the floor and walls of the back of the van, Gray was covered in it, but he refused to let go of his little brother. Shouldering past Lyon and Jellal he hurried through the wider opening to the Hidden World holding Natsu closer to keep him from being jostled.</p>
<p>“Lay him here!” doing as he was told Gray laid Natsu on the small picnic table they had bought a while back, never losing contact with the Metahuman’s death-grip on his hand.</p>
<p>Combing his fingers through Natsu’s hair as Jellal prepared for treatment, Gray stayed right by the meta’s side.</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>“I see your monsters, I see your pain.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>Tell me your problems, I'll chase them away.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>I'll be your lighthouse. I'll make it okay.</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>
  <strong>
    <em>When I see your monsters I'll stand there so brave and chase them all away.”</em>
  </strong>
</p>
<p>And that was a promise you would have to kill Gray to have him break.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I see your monsters, I see your pain...<br/>Tell me your problems, I'll chase them away,<br/>I'll be your lighthouse. I'll make it okay...<br/>When I see your monsters I'll stand there so brave,<br/>And chase them all away...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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